airport error - tried for 6 hours to join wireless

Massive problem - been on the phone for 6 hours to Verizon, then to Dlink, then back to Verizon, back to dlink, 2 more times each, 6 hours total - I have a westel 6500 modem from Verizon, I have a new dlink xtreme N wireless router - DIR-655...I have mac OS X4.11, airport - powerbook G4

Through it all, it seems that the dlink and Verizon modem will connect through ethernet cable, and the router sends out a signal, Airport picks up my wireless name/network but when I try to join it, airport always gives me error message, saying there was an error trying to join, and that's all it says...

To use that Westel modem with your external Dlink router, the Westel has to be set for Bridged mode. Otherwise you are running 2 routers. From my searching in Google that Westel 6500 it's a Modem/router.